Leaving
by chashkieh
Summary: Tumblr prompt: 4x01 AU: In this episode, Chloe got back right when Lucifer told Ella he wouldn't be coming back to crime scenes. What if she'd gotten back right after/a day after he left the crime scene and Ella told her Lucifer wasn't coming back?
1. Chapter 1

"Go home, Lucifer." Dan's greeting isn't what he came to the crime scene for so Lucifer dismisses him almost immediately.

"Dan doesn't mean it. Losing Charlotte is affecting him more than he's letting on."

"And I sympathize with what Daniel is going through, but I refuse to be a scapegoat for which something I bear no responsibility. It's a theme in my life." The Devil tells the forensic analyst while he quickly scans the area for a certain Detective.

"It's going to take him a while. It's going to take all of us a while," Ella briefly pauses, "So you want the deets?"

"Nope. I hate to give Daniel the satisfaction, but perhaps it's high time I stop coming to crime scenes."

"You mean, you're done showing up, checking to see if Chloe's here, and leaving without helping at all?" Miss Lopez almost smirked at the guy and said guy almost rolls his eyes, but he responds in a serious tone.

"Yes, I've been holding on to false hope, it seems. Quite foolish, really. Hoping that one day she would just stroll up and everything will be back to the way it was."

"Aaw man. You really do miss her, don't you?"

"I do."

Ella stops herself from hugging the man who claims he's the Devil. He looks so defeated that it made her wonder what really happened. All she knows is that the partners haven't been in contact with each other after the Pierce fiasco.

"Anyway, it's been my genuine pleasure working with everyone in the LAPD. I'll have my staff send the farewell gifts bright and early whilst I make my way somewhere."

"Where are you going?"

"Far away from here."

_Apparently, that's what the Detective wants._

Lucifer walks away from a confused forensic analyst who thought nothing of it. Besides, Chloe took a much-needed vacation. It's not like she isn't coming back.

* * *

The next day at another crime scene, Chloe finally shows up and finds Ella taking photographic evidence.

"Chloe!" She exclaims and gives her a hug. "Why aren't you more...tanned? Where'd you go?"

"I went to Rome with my daughter. Now she's obsessed with gelato. Dan's going to be in trouble soon for sure." The Detective replies, a bit nervous, anxious to find the Devil who's actually her partner, who, she expected to show up any time now.

Ella doesn't miss a beat and says, "Oh, I don't think Lucifer's coming today."

"I wasn't looking for Lucifer." The blonde tries to feign ignorance, but the analyst knew better.

"Uh-huh. Lucifer's been way off lately. Are you guys, okay?"

"What do you mean? Of course, we're okay."

"He told me yesterday he wasn't going to show up anymore at any crime scene and that he'll be sending farewell gifts to the LAPD today. I just got word from one of the unis that everyone received a token of some sort. Is he really leaving?"

"Leaving?"

"Yeah. He said he was going somewhere far away. You guys are killing me. You're like the best partners ever! It would be a shame for you guys to part like this, you know. He's not serious, right?"

"I...I have to check something. I'll get Dan to cover for me, alright?"

"Sure thing, girl. I know it's none of my business but...make it work!"

* * *

Chloe gets to the penthouse after driving like a maniac. She doesn't know what to expect if she sees him, but all she found are white sheets over the furniture. Just like _that_ day. She's supposed to feel some relief — relief that she doesn't have to do something drastic to make him go back to Hell — however, she's not relieved at all.

All there is, is that sinking feeling, that hollowness she couldn't seem to fathom. Isn't this what she wanted? What now?


	2. Chapter 2

As it turns out, it isn't what she wanted. After all, is said and done, at the end of the day, she realizes she _knows _him, Devil, or not. No matter her beliefs. She'd rather have him by her side than without.

So Chloe does the right thing by ditching Father Kinley, vowing to keep an eye on the priest should he try anything.

Now, all that's left for her to do is find Lucifer. The Detective pulls some strings on various contacts in the department but despite that, no one with such a name turned up.

That was a month ago.

Chloe manages to track Maze who was reluctant at first but caved due to Trixie's persuasion.

It's the second month and still no leads.

Mazikeen, a demon, by the way, is growing frustrated like her roommate, because if she, with an unparalleled skill set, couldn't find a certain Devil, then that certain Devil must not be on the Earthly plane.

"That bastard!" The bounty hunter slams her fist on the table that startles Chloe.

"What is it, Maze?"

"He's not here."

"I know. But..."

"No, Chloe. He's not _here._ On Earth. I can't believe he left me again! I will kill him once he gets back," She continues, fuming.

"You're saying, he went back?"

"There's nowhere else to go. He's banned from Heaven. And I couldn't track him here. Still keeping up?"

"But he hates Hell."

"He does."

"What are you saying?"

"The Lord of Hell would do anything for you, Chloe. I thought you knew that. What did you say to him?"

"Nothing. We haven't had the chance to speak yet."

"Ah, there it is. You ghosted him for a whole month after seeing his face. He tried reaching out and you never returned his calls. Well."

"So, what are you _ saying _?" Chloe, annoyed at most, asked the bounty hunter again what she meant.

"He's gone. I can't go there without assistance. Amenadiel is not here, and no other sibling of his would help."

"There must be something that we could do."

"Why don't you try praying to Lucifer? Maybe he'll hear you. It's a long shot but, if it's you," Maze shrugs, "Still not the best plan, though it's all I could think of that's a bit sensible."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then you just have to accept that he's gone."

"No. He has to come back. I have to explain."

"Alright, calm down Decker. I'll try tracking him again. Maybe I missed something."

Of course, it's a lie, because the demon never misses. She feels bad for Chloe but then thought that the latter deserved it. On normal days, Mazikeen would have rubbed that fact on the Detective's face and enjoyed seeing her in pain.

* * *

Lucifer is on his nth cigarette and bottle of whiskey, trying to inebriate himself to no avail. He bought a burner phone to contact his legal ex-wife and Candy was more than happy to accommodate him in his time of need. Although at the moment, she wasn't sure how she could help, except to keep the booze coming. But it's been two months...

Lucifer was an open book, but not quite, Candy decided not to pry just yet. He'll come around eventually, which is why he's here in the first place.

_ Right? _

Ex-Mrs. Morningstar was somewhat skeptical about her theories, but when he finally spoke after the last patron left, after weeks and weeks of being given the runaround, it confirmed the main issue. Chloe Decker.

"So, you screwed up?" The singer stated bluntly because he didn't need any bullshit (and that he'd probably do the same with her as he's also brutally honest).

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," The Lightbringer retorted and took another swig of that top-shelf bottle.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You opening up the topic makes it quite impossible not to, now."

"You can always say no. Yet you didn't. So come on, out with it. I know you're going to pay for everything and more, and I'm grateful, but you have got to stop running away from your problems, Lucifer. How would Chloe feel?"

"How should I know? She was the one who left me first!"

"Okay, I didn't know that. What happened?"

"It's quite simple. She saw my face. And went to Rome for a vacation. Hasn't come back since."

Candy did a double-take. It sounded so trivial but she decided to get some more answers. And so what if Chloe saw his face? What a weirdo.

"Okay, maybe she decided to extend her vacation. From what I heard from you with regards to that Detective, she's a workaholic and seldom takes time for herself. If I were in Rome, I'd do the same."

"Or maybe she'd stay there for good."

"Come on, Lucifer. Do you really think she'd quit her job on a whim? Wasn't she this pariah in her department before? And now everyone's looking up to her? I personally don't think so."

"She doesn't really care whether her colleagues like her or not. She's just doing what she thinks is right. Chloe has this strong sense of justice..."

"Exactly."

Lucifer furrowed his brows, deep in thought. Why hasn't he considered that? Why didn't he wait for one more day? Or however long? Because if anything, he'd rather the Detective telling him to bugger off.

"You're right."

"I know."

"Thank you!" He stood up and gave Candy the warmest hug. Coming to Vegas was both the wrong and right move.

"Ah, ah, ah!" The blonde bar owner tugged him by his arms, "You can't go back to LA looking like that. At least spend another day here and maybe get some souvenirs. And then apologize profusely. Got it?"

"Right again." He sighed.

* * *

The first-class plane ride gave him some kind of reprieve after stressing so much the past months (and failing to book a private plane). He got restless once more when the plane landed, thinking of a reasonable and acceptable explanation for his two-month hiatus.

Mazikeen leaned on the Corvette with her arms crossed, eyes screaming murder as the Devil took his sweet time dragging his belongings.

When the Lightbringer finally closed the gap, he received a sucker punch from the former General and then another just because.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, you dumbass!"

"Hello to you, too, Maze. I can be inconspicuous when I want to. I apologize, alright? I got you a gift. And ouch." He nurses the afflicted area.

Mazikeen's face lit up at the peace offering item.

"Hop in."

* * *

Chloe's heart skipped a beat when she received that lone text message from Maze.

_ Found him. _

The bounty hunter found him and he's back in LA. Now what?

Before the Detective could get a chance to rethink her words, a knock on the door shook her out of her reverie. And there he was, Lucifer Morningstar, standing in her doorway with a bunch of flowers.

"Good evening, Detective. I'm sorry to barge in this late. I planned to wait 'til morning but I couldn't help myself. I —"

"Would you like to come in?" She interrupted his ramblings and stepped aside to let him in. He did so, a bit nervous because he wasn't expecting a warm welcome. He just wanted to apologize. "What happened to your face?"

"Oh, a present from Maze. Is the spawn asleep? I come bearing gifts for her as well,"

"Trixie's with Dan,"

"Oh." Lucifer was hoping for a quick distraction from the spawn. Oh well. "H-how are you?"

"I'm good," Chloe nodded, also not quite sure where to start. Should she go ahead and tell him about how she planned to send him back to Hell but eventually decided against it? Or that she initially colluded with a priest who turned out to be a fanatic whose baseless accusations cost innocent lives? Where could she even begin to apologize for her actions?

"Good, then."

"Listen,"

"I just wanted to apologize, Detective. For leaving. I should have waited for you to come back and discuss it with you properly and not jumped into conclusions. I should've known better."

"Apology accepted."

Lucifer had to smile at that as he sighed in relief. Candy was right. It was easier than he'd imagined it to be.

"There's something I wanted to tell you. I don't know if you could forgive me once —"

"I could never hate you, Detective. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. I know you're still processing what you saw, despite your bravado, and I understand. I'll be here whenever you're ready. That's all for now."

Lucifer handed the bouquet while Chloe could just stare at him in awe. Still, somehow, she was glad her partner wasn't here during the Kinley fiasco. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if things went as planned. But this will have to do for the time being.

"Okay, Lucifer."

"Goodnight, Detective."

* * *

**Author's Note: Decided to add a chapter 2. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:**

**Yey, it's done! Forgive the last bits, I didn't want to drag out the conversation. I think Chloe accepting him for who he was and backing out the deal with Kinley is more than enough. :D**

* * *

Lucifer watched from the top of the stairs as the crowd gathered on the dance floor, busybodies grinding and bouncing to the club beats, but truth be told he was plain bored. The cases they handled recently were open and shut with a hell lot of paperwork, so there was nothing much to be done. He didn't want to bother the Detective, giving her the space she needed yet still making sure he was there the minute she called.

He sees a familiar face as he makes his descent, and wow, it was so long ago, but here she was in the flesh. Eve.

"What are you doing here?" The Prince of Darkness greeted her with a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, you know. Heaven got boring."

"Why don't we catch up in the Penthouse?"

"Yeah!"

Pleasantries exchanged and a glass of scotch offered, Lucifer Morningstar would admit he's enjoying the present company. It was refreshing in the sense that she's someone familiar, who knew his old life, and they could talk for hours about nothing and everything.

"Where are you staying?" He asked because it was getting late. And although he missed Eve, he wasn't in the mood to do anything intimate with her.

"Haven't thought of that yet."

"Well, worry, not. I know Pierre at the Waldorf. He owes me a favor, so we'll get you a suite."

Lucifer was on his phone then, and the first woman was a bit disappointed that he didn't ask her to stay. If he only knew the reason she went back to Earth…

"Your Uber ride will be here in a few minutes."

* * *

"This must be you," Lucifer opened the car door after walking Eve to the entrance.

"Thank you for everything."

"Anything for an old friend," He smiled at her and then turned his attention over to the driver. "Take her home safely —hold on. You're not Rafael with five stars."

The driver pulls a gun on Lucifer's face and shouts at Eve, looking for a necklace.

"I am canceling this ride." Not at all perturbed, the Devil takes out his phone and starts working on rebooking a ride for Eve.

"Give me the necklace now, or I'll shoot your friend in the face!" Not-Rafael demanded.

"There's no need to be so rude," The Lightbringer once again plays it down and tries to reach for the gun, but the guy pulls the trigger, and the former drops to the pavement. Eve immediately alights the vehicle to come to the Devil's aid, screams at the top of her lungs for help only for Lucifer to bounce back as nothing happened.

"You're okay," The first woman's heartbeat slows down as the onlookers disperse.

"Well, I may need ibuprofen, but what I would love more is an explanation from you, Eve."

* * *

"So who the hell was that? It's not every day I get shot in the face for some necklace." Lucifer's voice is irritated more than ever. He hates getting shot, especially in the face.

"I have no idea who that scary driver was. The only necklace I remember was that of Pablo's."

"And Pablo is…?"

"The guy who gave me a ride on his jet. He kept showing me this costly necklace he made for some Arab guy named Buster?"

"That doesn't sound very Arab."

"Bashir?"

"Bashir Al Fassad?"

"You know him?"

"He owes me a favor, claims to be a concierge of crime. Bashir will stop at nothing if he thinks you have his property."

"But I really don't! I swear!"

"Then perhaps a visit is in order to clear things up."

Eve nodded. Just then, Lucifer's phone rang, and his face immediately lit up upon seeing the caller id.

"Hello, Detective. How may I be of service?"

"We have a case. Some guy named Pablo. Has this connection with a Bashir Al Fassad."

"What a great coincidence! I just happen to know Bashir, and I have a witness here who spoke with Pablo."

"Okay, meet me at the precinct."

The Devil picks up his coat and ushers Eve into the elevator.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, that's my partner."

"Oh."

* * *

At the precinct, Lucifer found Chloe looking into more paperwork that he just had to shake his head. Why is this precinct giving her so much work?

"Detective!" He calls out, and the latter barely looks up.

"You have the witness with you?" She says almost automatically, still scribbling away on pages upon pages of endless admin work.

"This is Eve. She's an old friend who happened to be on that plane before Pablo kicked off."

* * *

Lucifer gets Eve off the hook after cashing in his favor with Bashir. But since the case still needs solving, he had to enlist the latter's help to showcase the actual necklace that's been up for auction. This was a team effort, the Detective finding out the auction's location, and he posing as a buyer.

Even Daniel pitched in.

After the initial price he set, the other bidders just kept on adding, and this annoyed the Devil more.

"Ten million!" He stood up and flashed that number 69 and smirked at the other bidders as the auctioneer declared the item sold to his name.

The Devil and Detective then get to meet the owner of the item, who turned out to be another acquaintance of both Bashir and Pablo. To make matters worse, (rather, irritating for the Lightbringer), he wasn't the killer.

Eve, while waiting in the backstage, meets the actual killer who turned out to be Toby, Pablo's business partner. A standoff ensues, and in the middle of the chaos (the aftermath of the first woman's ball-crushing technique), the partners did what they do the best and eventually subdued the suspect and retrieved the item.

With the case solved, Chloe and Lucifer temporarily parted ways so that the former can book the suspect and sign the necessary paperwork (another addition to her impeccable solve rate). At the same time, the latter finally rebooked that ride and deposited Eve to the Waldorf.

* * *

The Detective was finishing a few more paperwork for the day when Ella approached her desk.

"So, how is Lucifer? He hasn't been that chatty these past weeks ever since he came back. I thought you guys made up?"

"I thought we did."

"Oh, come on! Your overall dynamic is way off."

"You know, I just realized something."

"Okay…?"

"I miss him. I mean, he pisses me off all the time! And there are so many things about him that I find hard to accept, but I just have to believe I can find a way. Because I'd rather have him in my life than not."

"Then, I think you know what you have to do."

With that, Chloe stood up and set aside the remaining work for tomorrow and headed to Lux. It wasn't opened to the public yet at the time she got there and found Lucifer sitting by his piano, jacket discarded on the floor.

"Hey,"

The Devil looked up and smiled at her, a bit surprised at the unexpected visit.

"Detective! Fancy seeing you here. I thought you were going to work overtime to finish your backlogs."

"I was. I changed my mind. Where is, uh, Eve?"

"Oh, got her accommodations at the Waldorf."

"I see."

"So, what brings you to Lux? Please don't tell me there's another murder?"

"I'm here for you."

"You are?"

_Shit_. The Devil thought. _Is she going to kick me out this time? But I did everything by the book!_

"Can you...show me your other face again?"

Lucifer held his breath for a second, thinking on how to handle the current dilemma. Has the Detective lost her marbles or something?

"That's not necessary, Detective. Once is enough. I don't wanna ruin whatever we have —"

"Please. I need to see it again."

The Devil sighed. Even though he wasn't sure he understand what was happening, he complied and showed Mr. Crispy without making eye contact. But despite his effort, two hands held his otherworldly facade that forced him to lock his gaze with his red eyes.

"I'm not afraid anymore." She said, and went in for a kiss. He reciprocates with the same amount of passion while turning back to his human form to stare at the miracle in front of him.

"This is real, isn't it?"

Chloe nodded, and this time he initiated another kiss.

"I have something else to tell you."

To say it was a rad night would be an understatement. But he understood why the Detective had been manipulated by some obsessed priest who's now in jail. In fact, the club owner is proud of Chloe realizing it on her own and trusting her instincts and avoiding further complications. He's happy how it all turned out. Couldn't be happier, indeed.


End file.
